Gas-machine



No. 613,720. Patented Nov. 8, I898.

w. L. RATISSEAU. GAS MACHINE.

(Application filed July 22, 1897.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()nrrcn.

WILLIAM L. RATISSEAU, OF GALVESTON, TEXAS.

GAS-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 613,720, dated November 8, 1898. I

Application filed July 22,1897- Serial No. 645,537. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM L. RATIssEAU, a citizen of the United States, residing at Galveston, in the county of Galveston and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Gas-Machine,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in gas-machines of that class wherein the gas is produced by forcing air under pressure through a body of liquid hydrocarbon for the purpose of impregnating or carbureting the air with the Volatile vapors of the hydrocarbon; and theobject of the invention is to provide an improved regulator by which the pressure of the gas to be supplied to the burners may be controlled automatically, as Well as manually, to insure steady burning of the gas-jets and to efiect economy in the consumption of the gas drawn from the storage-chamber in the upper part of the hydrocarbon-tank.

With these ends in view and such others as pertain to an invention of this character my present invention consists in the novel combination of elements and in the construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

To enable others to understand my invention, I have illustrated the same in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of one type of gas-machine with which my regulator may be advantageously employed. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view,in Vertical section, through the pressure-regulator; and'Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the regu lator on the plane indicated by the dotted line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings I have represented one type of gas-machine with which my improved regulator may be advantageously used, and in this figure the numeral 1 designates a tank serving as a reservoir for the liquid hydrocarbon, such as gasolene,with which air may be charged to carburet the air and produce an inflammable gas. The tank is mounted on a base or stand 2, which is constructed to permit the air-pipe to pass through the bottom of the tank. The air pressure pipe 9 leads to a storage or pressure chamber 11 of the air-pump 10. (Illustrated in a convent-ional way in Fig. l of the drawings.) The air-pump employed is of a character to be operated by a fluid-pressure motor actuated by the pressure of water from high-pressure service-mains supplied from the waterworks of a city; but as motor-operated pumps of this class are familiar to those skilled in the art I have not deemed it necessary to particularly illustrate or describe the pump. Water is conveyed to the pump-motor by the induction-pipe 12, and the waste water passes from the pump-motor through the eductionpipe 13. The air-pressure pipe 9 is provided with a suitable stop-cock 14, by which communication between the air-pressure reservoir 11 may be cut off when it is desired to repair the apparatus, and this pipe 9 is also provided with an inwardly-opening checkvalve 15, that permits of free passage of air from the pump 10 to the tank 1, but prevents the passage of the liquid contents of the tank 1 to the air-pump. This tank 1 is also furnished with an inspection-gage 16, by which the attendantis able to ascertain the quantity of liquid contained in the tank, and at its upper end the tank is provided with a suitable filling-nozzle 17, provided with a suitable cook or valve 18, by whichthe liquid hydrocarbon may be fed or poured into the tank. A pressure-gage 19 is attached to the upper head of the tank to indicate to the attendant the pressure of gas in the gas-storage chamber of the tank.

20 designates the regulator of my invention, by which the pressure of gas supplied to the service-pipe may be controlled, and this regulator is constructed in a novel manner to render it capable of manual adjustment to vary the gas-pressure, (either to increase or diminish the same but at the same time this regulator operates automatically to maintain the desired pressure at the burner or burners. The regulator has a shell 21, closed at its lower end and provided with an open-flanged upper end, and said open end of the regulator-shell is closed by means of a flanged head 22, which is bolted or otherwise rigidly clamped to the shell 21. Between the flanged I the regulator.

open end of the regulator-shell and the flanged head thereof is interposed the edge of a flexible diaphragm 23, of elastic rubber or other suitable material, and this diaphragm is thus held or clamped rigidly at its edges to the regulator-casin g, while its central part is free to move or vibrate under the varying pressures of the gas admitted to the chamber of At one side of the regulatorcasing is provided a threaded boss or nipple 24:, through which passes and into which is screwed the branch. pipe 25, that connects the regulator 20 to the gas-storage chamber or reservoir of the tank 1. This branch pipe extends through the nipple 24 into the gas-chamher of the regulator, and to the inner end thereof is attached an elbow 26, which is turned toward the bottom of the regulatorcasing, and to this downwardly-facing elbow is attached a short length of pipe 26, that constitutes a metallic valve-seat for the valve of the pressure-regulator. The valve 27 of the regulator is operated in synchronism with the vibrations of the flexible diaphragm 23 of the regulator, and this diaphragm is in turn held under tension of springs to resist the pressure of the gas in the chamber of the regulator, said spring-pressure being controllable by manuallyadjustable devices to impart different resistances to the vibratory diaphragm, according as it is desired to increase or diminish the pressure of gas to be supplied to the service-pipe and thence to the burners.

The valve 27 is carried by a two-part stem, (indicated at 28 29,) and one member of the valve-stem is arranged in the regulator-casin g below the diaphragm, while the other member of said valvestem is arranged within the upper part of the regulator-casing above the diaphragm. The adjacent ends of the members 28 29 of the valve-stem are flanged or headed, as at 30", and these headed or flanged ends are adjusted to bear against opposite sides of the flexible diaphragn'l, at. the center thereof, said headed or flanged ends of the Valve-stem members being coupled rigidly together and united securely t o the diaphragm by bolts or screws which pass through the heads or flanges and the diaphragm. This construction provides a secure fastening for the valve-stem members to the diaphragm and enables the parts to be readily detached in case it becomes necessary to replace an old diaphragm with a new one. The lower member 28 of the valve-stem is made in the form of a yoke or bail adjusted to embrace the elbowshaped end of the branch pipe 25, and on the lower cross-bar of this yoke or bail of the valvestem member 28 is rigidly attached the valve 27, whereby the valve is connected with the valve-stem and the diaphragm to move in unison therewith. The valve 27 consists of a disk of rubber, leather, or other suitable material, and it is attached in a suitable way to the bail-like member of the valve-stem in a position directly opposite to the valve-seat 26" on the elbow-shaped end of the branch-pipe conto the diaphragm. the pressure-spring finds metallic seats or nection with the storage-tank 1. The valveseat tube 2C on the elbow of the gas-inlet pipe to the regulator faces in a downward direction, so as to discharge the gas toward the closed bottom of the regulatoncasing, and the gas-pressure may thus be exerted against the diaphragm, so as to utilize the vibratory play thereof for adjusting the bailshaped member of the operating-stem. This bailshaped stem member 28 is arranged to slidably embrace the downturned end of the gasinlet-pipe branch, so that it lies in the line of the axis of the valve-seat tube 26 to present the valve 27 properly to the seat on the end of the tube 26, thereby applying the force of the diaphragm and the stem member 28 centrally to the Valve 27 and hold the latter unjder uniform pressure against all portions of the seat edge of the tube 26.

To hold the stem member 28 in proper relation to the tube 26 and prevent the valve from getting out of position due to displacement of said stem member 28, a guide-pin is attached to the head of the member28 in a position to extend into the tube 26 and play in an opening of a crosslbar fixed in said tube, as shown by Fig. 2. The upper member 29 of the valvestem consists of a plain smooth rod, and it passes idly or loosely through a central bore in a bushing 30. The head 22 of the regulator-casing 24) has a hollow boss 3l,which is intcriorly threaded, and into this boss is screwed the externally-threaded bushing 30, whereby the bushing may be adj usted vertically in the head by rotating said bushing, and at the same time as a seat for the upper extremity of a coiled pressure sprin g 33. This coiled pressurespring is held in place by fitting it loosely on the upper member 29 of the valve-stem, and

the lower end of said pressure-spring finds a metallic bearing upon the flange or head of the valve-stem member 29,where it is attached It will thus be seen that bearings against the exposed end face of the adjustable bushing and the head or flange of the valve-stem member 29 and that the spring acts between the hearings or seats to normally press downward on the flexible diaphragm to. impart to the latter resistance to the pressure of gas contained in the gas-chamber of the regulator. The tension of the spring is exerted normally to depress the diaphragm and the valve stem to lower the valve 27 away from the seat on the pipe 25; but when the pressure of the gas in the regulator reaches the desired point the diaphragm is raised by said gas-pressure against the tension of the spring to close the valve 27 more or less against ers the spring reacts to depress the diaphragm and lower the valve-stem and the valve away from the mouth of the pipe 25, thus providing for the escape of enlarged volumes of gas from the tank into the regulator-chamber, from which the gas may flow to the servicepipe 34 and thence to the burner orburners.

In my improved regulator the inflowing current of gas through the supply-pipe is delivered against the valve to have a tendency for forcing the latter away from the seat on the downturned elbow, and this gas-pressure from the pipe 25 is assisted by the yokeshaped stem and the spring. The accumulation of gas in the regulator faster than the consumption at the burners results in a pressure within the regulator-chamber greater than the pressure of the gas admitted by the pipe 25. This action is due to the arrangement of the inlet-pipe 25 and the outlet-pipe 34 in communication with a single chamber of the regulator-shell, which chamber is common to both the inlet and outlet pipes, and also to the downwardly-facing elbow and to a valve seated against the same to be opened by the pressure of the iufiowing gas assisted by the spring. The diaphragm acts in opposition to the inflowing current of gas impinging against the valve and the pressure of the spring thereon, and the two gas-pressures and the spring maintain the parts in active relation to secure the necessary uniform pressure at the burner without fluctuation of the flame. A regulator acting on the principle described should be equipped with means by which the valve may be presented accurately to its seat, so as to prevent deflection by the variation in the pressure of the gas which is admitted by the pipe 25 and contained within the regulator-casing, and these guide devices are presented in a satisfactory manner bythe employment of the bail-like stem arranged to embrace the downturned end of the inletpipe, so as to present the valve centrally thereto, and by the provision of the stem on the valve and arranged to play in the bridgebar within the downturned nozzle.

By adjusting the bushing 30 to increase the tension of the spring the latter resists to a great extent the upward movement of the diaphragm, and thus increased gas-pressure is required in the regulator to actuate the valve; but should the bushing be rotated in the reverse direction the tension of the spring is weakened and the diaphragm acts more freely and under diminished gas-pressure;

The service-pipe 3st is attached to a nipple 35 on the regulator-shell 21 at a point directly opposite to the inlet-pipe 25.

I attach importance to the pressure-regulator constructed and arranged for operation as herein shown and described, because the regulator operates under varying pressures in a very sensitive and efficient manner. This is especially important in a gas-machine which may operate under varying pressures from one pound to seventy-five pounds pressure; but such a regulator as I have described opcrates under proper adjustment of the bushing and spring to secure a regular, even, and steady flow of gas to the burners, thus insuring a steady flame and light at the burners.

The operation of the gas-machine is as follows: Liquid hydrocarbon having been supplied to the tank, the air-pump is operated by opening a valve to admit water from a servicemain to the pump-motor, the valve being allowed to remain open under all normal conditions. The pump operates automatically to force air through the pipe 9 into a rose, by which the air is divided into thin streams or jets and thus forced under pressure into and through the hydrocarbon.- As the air passes through the hydrocarbon it becomes impregnated or saturated with the volatile hydrocarbon and it emerges from said hydrocarbon in the form of gas, the impregnated air being stored in the chamber provided in the upper partof the tank 1, above the level of the liquid therein, this tank thus serving both as a reservoir for the liquid hydrocarbon and as a storage-reservoir for the gas or impregnated air. The gas passes through the pipe 25 to the regulator and from thence to the servicepipe, by which it is supplied to the burners. By operatingthe air-pump by hydraulic pressure from a waterworks the pump is kept at work until the pressure of the gas or impregnated air in the tank 1 is equal to the pressure of the water supplied by the waterworks to the pump. As the pressure of the gas or inipregnated air equals the pressure of the water the pump ceases to operate. When the burner or burners are used and the pressure of gas is diminished in the regulator and the storage-chamber of the tank, the pump starts in service again to force air through the pipe 9 and the liquid hydrocarbon in the tank to supply enough gas to maintain the pressure required. The gas-storage chamber of the tank is thus kept at the desired pressure to maintain a full supply of gas ready for consumption at the burners; but the tank is prevented from becoming overcharged, because the pump ceases to work when the pressure of impregnated air or gas equals the pressure of the water or medium which actuates the airpump motor.

Various changes in the form and proportion of parts and in the details of construction herein shown and described as an embodiment of my invention may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure b Letters Patent, is-- 1. A pressure-regulator comprising a shell spring-pressed diaphragm confined therein, a gas-inlet pipe entering the single chamber at one side thereof and having a downwardlyfacing elbow forming a valve-seat, a gas-out let pipe coupled to the regulator-casing on the opposite side from the inlet-pipe and comor casing having a single gasechamber, a

municating with the single chamber of said casing, a bail-like stem attached to the diaphragm and arranged to loosely embrace the elbow in the line of its axis and to present its cross-bar across the open mouth of said elbow, a valve fitted to the cross-bar of said bailshaped stem and arranged to be seated against the open end of the elbow to be exposed to the pressure of the infiowing current of gas through the inlet-pipe, and a guide-stem attached to the bail-shaped stem and playing in a guide of the elbow, substantially as described.

2. A pressure-regulator comprising a casin g having a removable cover anda single gaschamber, a diaphragm clamped between the edges of the casing and its cover, an inletpipe entering the single chamber of the casingat one sidethereof and provided at its inner end with a downwardly-opening elbow, an outlet-pipe coupled to the regulator-casing 1 on the opposite side from the inlet-pipe and 5 phragm and loosely embracing the downturned elbow of the inlet-pipe,and a valve carried by the bail-shaped stem member in theplane of the axis of the downturned elbow and arranged to be seated against the open mouth thereof, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM L. RATISSEAU.

Witnesses:

GEO. A. ST. LOUIS, J. R. CHEEK. 

